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Thursday, March 25, 2010

Dijon Croque Monsieur...

Every so often when we're not busy tryin' out new recipes, we fall back to the good old gold standards that you don't even need to think twice about, like your everyday grilled cheese. However, then there are times that a simple sandwich doesn't quite satisfy the urge, leaving you craving a dish that has a bit of potency and vigor.

This won't happen to us next time we're itchin' for a sandwich with some bite to it, now that we've found this fast-to-make Dijon Croque Monsieur! Think savory French toast, laced with a tangy spread, layered with paper thin slices of ham (Black Forest in this case) and topped off with aggressive Gruyère cheese - yeah, now that's what we're talking about!

Italian bread gave us a soft, yet sturdy base, with each slice being smeared with a light coating of a spread made from grainy Dijon and mayonnaise. Stacked with the ham and cheese between the slices, the assembled sandwiches then go for a dunk in a pool of beaten eggs and milk - be sure to use a dish that is just deep enough to contain the liquid with and splashes, but is wide and shallow enough that you won't have to fumble around getting both sides dipped.

A skillet would work well enough to cook them through, but since we wanted all of the sandwiches done at the same time, we used a large griddle, rubbed with a knob of butter. Not only does the butter allow the bread to release with ease when you flip each, but that touch of fat gives you crispness and an eye-candy golden tone this sandwich deserves. While Jeff and I both love the rich nuttiness Gruyère has to offer, if you want to temper that complexity, replace half (or even all for more mildness) with shredded Swiss cheese.

Since this came together so fast, I have a feeling the next time a (savory) snack attack happens, this may just end up first in line to throw together!